The field of the disclosure relates generally to fuel storage, and more specifically, to detecting contaminants in a fuel container.
Fuel is stored and transported for use in a variety of applications. For example, fuel may be stored in a fuel tank on a vehicle, or pumped from a storage tank through a fuel line from a first location to a second location. However, contaminants present in the fuel container and/or entrained in the fuel may impact the quality and/or properties of the fuel, and/or may impact the operability of the fuel container itself. Such contaminants can include, for example, water, sand, and/or rust within the fuel container.
In at least some known fuel containment systems, it may not be possible to proactively determine whether contaminants are present. Rather, contaminants are typically identified only after the performance of one or more devices (e.g., engines) operating on the contaminated fuel is adversely impacted. For example, contaminated fuel may cause premature shut down of a vehicle engine. Accordingly, at least some known fuel containment systems are unable to detect the presence, much less the quantity, of contaminants in fuel stored therein. After contamination is detected, in at least some known fuel containment systems, the fuel container must be purged of all contaminated fuel and refilled with clean, uncontaminated fuel.